THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


SAN  FRANCISCO 

ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS 

AGO 

TRANSLATED  FROM          e»4 •*> 
THE  FRENCH  OF  LOUIS  CHORIS 
BY  PORTER  GARNETT 


With  Illustrations  from  Drawings 
made  by  Choris  in  the  year  1816,  to 
which  are  added  Certain  Views  of 
San  Francisco  at  the  present  day 


SAN  FRANCISCO 

A.  M.  ROBERTSON 
1913 


COPYRIGHT,  1913 
BY  PORTER  GARNETT 


PRINTED  BY 
TAYLOR,  NASH  *  TAT 
SAN  FRANCISCO 


TRANSLATOR'S  NOTE 


THE  description  of  San  Francisco 
here  presented  for  the  first 
time  in  an  English  translation 
constitutes  one  chapter  of  a  work  en- 
titled Voyage  pittoresque  autour  du 
monde,  avec  des  portraits  de  sauvages 
d'amerique,  d'asie,  d'afrique,  et  des 
isles  du  grand  ocean ;  des  pay  sages,  des 
vues  maritimes.,  etplusieurs  objets  d'his- 
toire  naturelle,  par  Louis  Choris,  pein- 
tre.  Paris,  1822.  The  author,  who  was 
a  Russian  of  German  stock,  was  born 
at  Yekaterinoslaf  on  March  22,  1795. 


111 


277104 


TRANSLATOR'S  NOTE 


He  visited  San  Francisco  in  1816  on 
board  the  Ruric,  being  attached  in  the 
capacity  of  artist  to  the  RomanzofF  ex- 
pedition under  the  command  of  Lieu- 
tenant Otto  von  Kotzebue,  sent  out  for 
the  purpose  of  exploring  a  northwest 
passage. 

Dr.  Eschscholtz,  from  whose  name 
that  of  the  California  poppy  (Eschscholt- 
zia  Californica)  was  taken,  was  the 
physician  of  this  expedition. 

It  has  been  said  of  Choris  that  he 
"painted  nature  as  he  found  it.  The  es- 
sence of  his  art  is  truth ;  a  fresh,  vigour- 
ous  view  of  life,  and  an  originality  in 
portrayal."  The  accompanying  illustra- 
tions may  therefore  be  looked  upon 
as  faithfully  representing  the  subjects 
treated  by  the  artist.  After  the  voyage  of 
iv 


TRANSLATOR  S    NOTE 


the  Ruric,  Choris  went  to  Paris  where 
he  issued  a  portfolio  of  his  drawings  in 
lithographic  reproduction  and  studied 
in  the  ateliers  of  Gerard  and  Regnault. 
Seized,  however,  by  an  irresistible  cra- 
ving for  adventure,  he  left  France  in 
1827  for  South  America.  He  was  assas- 
sinated by  robbers  on  March  22, 1828, 
when  en  route  to  Vera  Cruz. 


SAN  FRANCISCO 

ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS 

AGO 


EARLY  on  September  20,  1816 
(old  style,  October  2 ),  we  came 
within   sight   of  the   coast  of 
New  California.    The  land  we  first  saw 
was  what  is  known  as  Point  Reyes,  to 
the  north  of  San  Francisco.    As  the 
wind  was  favourable  we  soon  passed  the 
Farallones,  which  are  dangerous  rocks, 
and  at  four  in  the  afternoon  we  en- 
tered San  Francisco  harbour.  The  fort, 
which  is  within  the  entrance  and  on  the 
south  shore,  is  thoroughly  equipped  for 
defense.  The  presidio  of  San  Francisco 
1 


SAN  FRANCISCO   ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

is  about  one  marine  mile  from  the  fort 
and  on  the  same  side;  it  is  square  in 
form  and  has  two  gates  which  are  con- 
stantly guarded  by  a  considerable  com- 
pany of  men.  The  buildings  have  win- 
dows on  the  side  towards  the  interior 
court  only.  The  presidio  is  occupied 
by  ninety  Spanish  soldiers,  a  comman- 
dant, a  lieutenant,  a  commissary,  and 
a  sergeant.  Most  of  these  are  married. 
The  men  and  women  are  tall  and  well 
built.  Very  few  of  the  soldiers  have 
married  Indians.  They  are  all  good 
horsemen  and  two  of  them  can  easily 
cope  with  fifty  natives. 

Two  leagues  to  the  southeast  of  the 
presidio  and  on  the  southern  shore  of 
the  harbour  is  the  Mission  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, which  makes  a  fair-sized  village. 
2 


(1913) 


A  Residence 


SAN  FRANCISCO   ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

The  mission  church  is  large  and  is 
connected  with  the  house  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, which  is  plain  and  reasonably 
clean  and  well  kept.  The  mission  al- 
ways has  a  guard  of  three  or  four  sol- 
diers from  the  presidio.  The  village  is 
inhabited  by  fifteen  hundred  Indians; 
there  they  are  given  protection,  cloth- 
ing, and  an  abundance  of  food.  In  re- 
turn, they  cultivate  the  land  for  the 
community.  Corn,  wheat,  beans,  peas, 
and  potatoes  —  in  a  word,  all  kinds  of 
produce  —  are  to  be  found  in  the  gen- 
eral warehouse.  By  authority  of  the 
superior,  a  general  cooking  of  food 
takes  place,  at  a  given  hour  each  day, 
in  the  large  square  in  the  middle  of 
the  village ;  each  family  comes  there  for 
its  ration  which  is  apportioned  with 
3 


SAN  FRANCISCO   ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

regard  to  the  number  of  its  members. 
They  are  also  given  a  certain  quantity 
of  raw  provisions.  Two  or  three  fami- 
lies occupy  the  same  house.  In  their 
free  time,  the  Indians  work  in  gardens 
that  are  given  them ;  they  raise  therein 
onions,  garlic,  cantaloupes,  watermel- 
ons, pumpkins,  and  fruit  trees.  The 
products  belong  to  them  and  they  can 
dispose  of  them  as  they  see  fit. 

In  winter,  bands  of  Indians  come 
from  the  mountains  to  be  admitted  to 
the  mission,  but  the  greater  part  of 
them  leave  in  the  spring.  They  do  not 
like  the  life  at  the  mission.  They  find 
it  irksome  to  work  continually  and  to 
have  everything  supplied  to  them  in 
abundance.  In  their  mountains,  they 
live  a  free  and  independent,  albeit  a 
4 


SAN  FRANCISCO  ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

miserable,  existence.  Rats,  insects,  and 
snakes, —  all  these  serve  them  for  food ; 
roots  also,  although  there  are  few  that 
are  edible,  so  that  at  every  step  they 
are  almost  certain  to  find  something  to 
appease  their  hunger.  They  are  too 
unskillful  and  lazy  to  hunt.  They  have 
no  fixed  dwellings;  a  rock  or  a  bush 
affords  sufficient  protection  for  them 
from  every  vicissitude  of  the  weather. 
After  several  months  spent  in  the  mis- 
sions, they  usually  begin  to  grow  fret- 
ful and  thin,  and  they  constantly  gaze 
with  sadness  at  the  mountains  which 
they  can  see  in  the  distance.  Once  or 
twice  a  year  the  missionaries  permit 
those  Indians  upon  whose  return  they 
believe  they  can  rely  to  visit  their  own 
country,  but  it  often  happens  that  few 
5 


SAN  FRANCISCO   ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

of  these  return;  some,  on  the  other 
hand,  bring  with  them  new  recruits  to 
the  mission. 

The  Indian  children  are  more  dis- 
posed to  adopt  the  mission  life.  They 
learn  to  make  a  coarse  cloth  from 
sheep's  wool  for  the  community.  I  saw 
twenty  looms  that  were  constantly  in 
operation.  Other  young  Indians  are 
instructed  in  various  trades  by  the  mis- 
sionaries. There  is  a  house  at  the  mis- 
sion in  which  some  two  hundred  and 
fifty  women  —  the  widows  and  daugh- 
ters of  dead  Indians  —  reside.  They  do 
spinning.  This  house  also  shelters  the 
wives  of  Indians  who  are  out  in  the 
country  by  order  of  the  fathers.  They 
are  placed  there  at  the  request  of 
the  Indians,  who  are  exceedingly  jeal- 
6 


•13)        A  Shop  (Courtyard  and  Show-windows) 


SAN  FRANCISCO  ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

ous,  and  are  taken  out  again  when 
their  husbands  return.  The  fathers 
comply  with  such  requests  in  order  to 
protect  the  women  from  mischief,  and 
they  watch  over  this  establishment 
with  the  greatest  vigilance. 

The  mission  has  two  mills  operated 
by  mules.  The  flour  produced  by  them 
is  only  sufficient  for  the  consumption 
of  the  Spanish  soldiers  who  are  obliged 
to  buy  it  from  the  fathers. 

The  presidio  frequently  has  need  of 
labourers  for  such  work  as  carrying 
wood,  building,  and  other  jobs;  the 
superior,  thereupon,  sends  Indians  who 
are  paid  for  their  trouble;  but  the 
money  goes  to  the  mission  which  is 
obliged  to  defray  all  the  expenses  of 
the  settlement. 

7 


SAN  FRANCISCO   ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

On  Sundays  and  holidays  they  cele- 
brate divine  service.  All  the  Indians 
of  both  sexes,  without  regard  to  age, 
are  obliged  to  go  to  church  and  wor- 
ship. Children  brought  up  by  the  su- 
perior, fifty  of  whom  are  stationed 
around  him,  assist  him  during  the  ser- 
vice which  they  also  accompany  with 
the  sound  of  musical  instruments. 
These  are  chiefly  drums,  trumpets,  ta- 
bors, and  other  instruments  of  the 
same  class.  It  is  by  means  of  their 
noise  that  they  endeavour  to  stir  the 
imagination  of  the  Indians  and  to  make 
men  of  these  savages.  It  is,  indeed,  the 
only  means  of  producing  an  effect  up- 
on them.  When  the  drums  begin  to 
beat  they  fall  to  the  ground  as  if  they 
were  half  dead.  None  dares  to  move; 
8 


(1913) 


Mission  Dolores 


SAN  FRANCISCO  ONE  HUNDRED   YEARS  AGO 

all  remain  stretched  upon  the  ground 
without  making  the  slightest  movement 
until  the  end  of  the  service,  and,  even 
then,  it  is  necessary  to  tell  them  several 
times  that  the  mass  is  finished.  Armed 
soldiers  are  stationed  at  each  corner  of 
the  church.  After  the  mass,  the  superior 
delivers  a  sermon  in  Latin  to  his  flock. 
On  Sunday,  when  the  service  is  end- 
ed, the  Indians  gather  in  the  cemetery, 
which  is  in  front  of  the  mission  house, 
and  dance.  Half  of  the  men  adorn 
themselves  with  feathers  and  with  gir- 
dles ornamented  with  feathers  and  with 
bits  of  shell  that  pass  for  money  among 
them,  or  they  paint  their  bodies  with 
regular  lines  of  black,  red,  and  white. 
Some  have  half  their  bodies  ( from  the 
head  downward)  daubed  with  black, 
9 


SAN  FRANCISCO  ONE   HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

the  other  half  red,  and  the  whole 
crossed  with  white  lines.  Others  sift 
the  down  from  birds  on  their  hair. 
The  men  commonly  dance  six  or  eight 
together,  all  making  the  same  move- 
ments and  all  armed  with  spears.  Their 
music  consists  of  clapping  the  hands, 
singing,  and  the  sound  made  by  stri- 
king split  sticks  together  which  has  a 
charm  for  their  ears ;  this  is  finally  fol- 
lowed by  a  horrible  yell  that  greatly 
resembles  the  sound  of  a  cough  ac- 
companied by  a  whistling  noise.  The 
women  dance  among  themselves,  but 
without  making  violent  movements. 

CALIFORNIAN  AIR 

&•  Tremblingly  and  mysteriously., 


(1913) 


A  Club  Interior 


SAN   FRANCISCO   ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

The  Indians  are  greatly  addicted  to 
games  of  chance ;  they  stake  their  or- 
naments, their  tools,  their  money,  and, 
frequently,  even  the  clothing  that  the 
missionaries  have  given  them.  Their 
games  consist  of  throwing  little  pieces 
of  wood  which  have  to  fall  in  an  even 
or  in  an  odd  number,  or  others  that 
are  rounded  on  one  side  and  as  they 
fall  on  the  flat  or  on  the  round  side 
the  player  loses  or  wins. 

Upon  the  demise  of  his  father  or 
mother,  or  of  some  kinsman,  the  In- 
dian daubs  his  face  with  black  in  token 
of  mourning. 

The  missionaries  have  characterized 

the  people  as   lazy,  stupid,  jealous— 

gluttons,  cowards.    I  have  never  seen 

one  laugh.  I  have  never  seen  one  look 

11 


SAN  FRANCISCO  ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

one  in  the  face.  They  look  as  though 
they  were  interested  in  nothing. 

It  is  reckoned  that  there  are  more 
than  fifteen  Indian  tribes  represented 
in  the  mission.  The  Kulpuni,  Kosmiti, 
Bolbones,  Kalalons,  Umpini,  Lamanes, 
Pitemens,  and  Apatamnes  speak  one 
language  and  live  along  the  Sacramento 
River.  The  Guimen,  Utchiuns,  Olom- 
palis,  Tamals,  and  Sonomas  likewise 
speak  one  language.  These  tribes  are  the 
most  largely  represented  at  the  Mission 
of  San  Francisco.  The  Saklans,  Suisuns, 
Utulatines,  and  the  Numpolis  speak 
different  languages.  Another  tribe,  the 
Tcholovoni,  differ  considerably  in  fea- 
ture, in  general  physiognomy,  and  in  a 
more  or  less  attractive  exterior  from 
all  the  others.  These  live  in  the  moun- 
12 


(1913) 


A  Residence 


SAN  FRANCISCO  ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

tains.  They  have  formed  an  alliance 
with  the  Spaniards  against  all  the  In- 
dian tribes.  They  make  beautiful  weap- 
ons, such  as  bows  and  arrows.  The  tips 
of  the  latter  are  furnished  with  pieces 
of  flint  fashioned  with  great  skill. 

Severe  fevers  occur  constantly  among 
the  Indians.  These  maladies  commonly 
carry  off  a  very  great  number.  Several 
missions  in  Lower  California  have  gone 
out  of  existence  in  the  past  twenty 
years  by  reason  of  the  extinction  of 
the  Indians. 

The  Indians  at  the  missions  to  the 
south  of  San  Francisco  —  particularly 
that  of  Santa  Barbara  —  make  charming 
vessels  and  vase-shaped  baskets,  capable 
of  holding  water,  from  withes  of  vari- 
ous running  plants.  They  know  how 
13 


SAN  FRANCISCO  ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

to  give  them  graceful  forms,  and  also 
how  to  introduce  pleasing  designs  into 
the  fabric.  They  ornament  them  with 
bits  of  shell  and  with  feathers. 

The  Indians  build  their  canoes  when 
they  are  about  to  undertake  an  expe- 
dition on  the  water ;  they  are  made  of 
reeds.  When  they  get  into  them  they 
become  half  filled  with  water  so  that 
the  occupant,  when  seated,  is  in  water 
up  to  the  calves  of  his  legs.  They  pro- 
pel them  by  means  of  long  paddles 
having  pointed  blades  at  both  ends. 

The  Missions  of  San  Francisco,  Santa 
Clara,  San  Jose,  and  Santa  Cruz  depend 
upon  the  presidio  of  San  Francisco 
which  is  required  to  succour  and  assist 
all  the  fathers  and  to  furnish  them  with 
soldiers  when  necessary  —  particularly 
14 


(1913) 


Masonic  Building 


SAN  FRANCISCO  ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

to  accompany  them  upon  excursions  in- 
to the  country.  One  such  expedition, 
consisting  of  two  fathers  and  twelve 
soldiers,  returned  a  short  time  before 
our  arrival.  It  had  been  their  intention 
to  ascend  the  Sacramento  River,  which 
empties  into  the  bay  to  the  northeast 
of  the  mission.  But  the  Spaniards  met 
parties  of  armed  men  at  every  turn; 
nowhere  were  they  well  received.  They 
were  compelled  therefore  to  return 
after  fifteen  days  without  having  made 
any  progress  towards  the  end  in  view. 
The  rocks  near  the  bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco are  commonly  covered  with  sea- 
lions.  Bears  are  very  plentiful  on  land. 
When  the  Spaniards  wish  to  amuse 
themselves,  they  catch  them  alive  and 
make  them  fight  with  bulls. 
15 


SAN  FRANCISCO  ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

Sea-otters  abound  in  the  harbour 
and  in  the  neighbouring  waters.  Their 
fur  is  too  valuable  for  them  to  be  over- 
looked by  the  Spaniards.  An  otter  skin 
of  good  size  and  of  the  best  quality  is 
worth  $35  in  China.  The  best  grade  of 
skins  must  be  large,  of  a  rich  colour, 
and  should  contain  plenty  of  hairs 
with  whitish  ends  that  give  a  silvery 
sheen  to  the  surface  of  the  fur. 

Russians  from  Sitka  (Norfolk  Sound), 
the  headquarters  of  the  Russian- Ameri- 
can colony,  are  established  at  Bodega 
Bay,  thirty  miles  north  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Their  chief  in  this  new  settle- 
ment is  M.  Kuskof,  an  expert  fur-trader. 
They  are  thirty  in  number  and  they  have 
fifteen  Kadiaks  with  them.  They  have 
built  a  small  fort  which  is  equipped 
16 


1! 
2! 


SAN  FRANCISCO  ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 


with  a  dozen  cannon.  The  harbour  will 
admit  only  vessels  that  draw  eight  or 
nine  feet  of  water.  This  was  formerly 
a  point  for  the  selling  of  smuggled 
goods  to  the  Spaniards.  M.  Kuskof  actu- 
ally has  in  his  settlement  horses,  cows, 
sheep,  and  everything  else  that  can  be 
raised  in  this  beautiful  and  splendid 
country.  It  was  with  great  difficulty 
that  we  obtained  a  pair  of  each  species 
from  the  Spaniards  because  the  govern- 
ment had  strictly  forbidden  that  any 
be  disposed  of. 

M.  Kuskof,  assisted  by  the  small 
number  of  men  with  him,  catches  al- 
most two  thousand  otters  every  year 
without  trouble.  When  not  so  engaged 
the  men  are  employed  at  building  and 
in  improving  the  settlement.  The  otter 
17 


SAN  FRANCISCO   ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

skins  are  usually  sold  to  American  fur- 
traders.  When  these  fail  of  a  full  cargo, 
they  go  to  Sitka  where  they  obtain 
skins  in  exchange  for  sugar,  rum,  cloth, 
and  Chinese  cotton  stuff.  The  Russian 
company,  not  having  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  ships,  sends  its  own  skins  to 
China  (or  only  as  far  as  Okhotsk)  as 
freight  on  American  ships. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty  American 
ships,  from  Boston,  New  York,  and  else- 
where, come  to  the  coast  every  year. 
Half  of  them  engage  in  smuggling  with 
enormous  profit.  No  point  for  landing 
goods  along  the  entire  Spanish- Ameri- 
can coast  bathed  by  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
from  Chili  to  California,  is  neglected. 
It  often  happens  that  Spanish  warships 
give  chase  to  American  vessels,  but 
18 


(1913) 


A  Theatre 


(1913) 


Union  Square 


(1913) 


An  Hotel 


SAN  FRANCISCO   ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

these,  being  equipped  with  much  sail, 
having  large  crews,  and  having,  more- 
over, arms  with  which  to  defend  them- 
selves, are  rarely  caught. 

The  commodities  most  acceptable  to 
the  Indians  of  the  coast  of  Northwest 
America  are  guns,  powder,  bullets,  and 
lead  for  their  manufacture,  knives, 
coarse  woolen  blankets,  and  mother-of- 
pearl  from  the  Pacific  which  they  use 
to  make  ornaments  for  the  head  and 
neck. 

Ships  are  often  attacked  with  the 
very  arms  that  they  themselves  sold, 
and  even  on  the  same  day  that  they 
were  delivered.  Most  of  them,  however, 
carrying  from  eight  to  fourteen  guns, 
are  able  to  defend  themselves.  Such 
occurrences  are  frequently  turned  to 
19 

277104 


SAN  FRANCISCO   ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

profit,  for,  should  they  carry  off  one 
of  the  chiefs,  they  are  certain  to  get  a 
great  deal  of  merchandise  as  ransom, 
and  gain  greater  facilities  for  trading. 
May  Heaven  defend  a  ship  from  be- 
ing wrecked  on  this  coast!  It  is  said 
that  the  barbarous  habit  of  eating  their 
prisoners  survives  among  several  of  the 
tribes  that  inhabit  it.  When  they  build 
a  house,  or  when  they  carry  out  some 
matter  of  importance,  they  put  to  death 
a  number  of  slaves  as  is  done  when 
a  war  is  ended.  Upon  a  man's  death, 
they  bury  with  him  his  wife  and  the 
slaves  to  whom  he  was  most  attached. 


20 


0EC  3  0  1958 

JAN  9  ~  1962 
1&     0GT  27  tdW 


DEC  1  1 


DEC  16 


UhlVBRSITT  of  CALIFO 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA    001  161 199  3 


